Haven't heard this show. My reviews are not about the tape quality, they are about the music I'm hearing. This is a great 1970 show. This Dark Star is somewhat unique, there is a cut early on before vocals and into the vocals, but it's most likely only 2-3 minutes, basing it on we have 19+ minutes here. I love the format of the '70 Stars and the jam coming out of the space is excellent and why I call it unique is that there is no "Feelin' Groovy", or "Tighten Up " jam in there, which was so common then. It does have that great ascending Garcia riff that you hear on 2/13/70, 6/24/70 and some later day "Deal" jams. This whole show is a hidden gem. I'm not sure when it surfaced on the Archive?

Their third trip to Ohio but first show in Cleveland; and first of four times at Cleveland Music Hall – the smaller of the two rooms at the Public Auditorium [they played the bigger room in '79 & '80]. They would go on to play greater Cleveland 25 times [not counting nearby Akron], playing this venue through '81, then switching to Cuyahoga Falls and Richfield. They had been heavily playing songs from the current album [Workingman's], but here only the opener and the closer [plus a few from the upcoming American Beauty]. This is AUD-only, made more special because we have neither the show before [Philly] nor the two after [Minneapolis w/matinée]. You might have to squint but the highlights are there.

First Set. No warming up here, with a banger Casey Jones. China Cat>Rider is really good. The rest of the set is average '70. Truckin' is mostly missing, along with the first Cryptical. The second Cryptical has a helluva seg into Sugar Mag. The latter is gonna be different than you expect; a must-hear-once if you can tolerate the sound qual. Candyman has a cut in the middle and the first half of Hard to Handle is missing.

Second Set. The set doesn't really get going until some time into Dark Star. There's another cut in Cold Rain & Snow, and DS has a cut @3:12, missing the 1st verse, and one @17:45, missing the start of the other verse! (So this was actually somewhat longer than 20mins). St. Stephen is superb. Not Fade is a standard run-through, but this is an historical Goin' Down the Road – and a great one. It's still in the early arrangement and probably the third or fourth played, but it's the second we have and the first we have with a Goodnight jam [moved here from NFA, where it was moved from Alligator]. It wasn't spontaneous; it sounds rehearsed (or was played in Philly). Love Light has a cut @1:48, missing the main solo. After some idling, Uncle John's leaves 'em happy.

1st Set:  C+
2nd Set: C
Overall = 2¾ stars

Highlights:
China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider – affable
St. Stephen – sugar
Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad – now w/marshmallows

SOURCES: Just one. You can rebalance throughout. It might help to EQ with a (not wide Q) drop about 600k and a shelf peak @6k-12k. Add 1% pitch correction to Sugar Mag & Goin' Down the Road; and -1% to the first Good Lovin'.

The following night's show at the Guthrie Theater is the only Dead Minnesota show with no recording, so this at least gives an idea of where thewy were at the time. Pretty nice show.

The sound quality is acceptable for a 1970 audience recording, but the outstanding music and band's energy more than makes up for any sonic shortcomings.

Although this show features an amazing Dark Star, that song (by virtue of its spacious quietness and ambience) is the only one you can hear clearly on this tape. Worth it for the Dark Star alone, but over all not special.

I was lucky enough to be at this show. It was fantastic in person, like some a kind of magical event. I wish a soundboard existed, but this recording is a blessing in any event. I drove over from Meadville, PA with a bunch of friends. The show went blissfully on into the wee hours.

So glad this tape exists.

The Dark Star really makes it. There's some beautiful jamming starting round 14:00 or so ... it's nice how they keep it laid back ... and then right around 17:00 Jerry just backs into this beautiful chord that, had I been there, might have caused me to stumble...

This fossil provides an extraordinary 'missing link' in the evolution of GDTRFB - only second performance with lyric and first? with the familiar, pronounced 'WBYGN jam'.
Thanks to all involved. Keep digging!

Despite numerous flaws and some infuriating cuts, this recording of the Dead's first show in Cleveland is well worth your time if you're a fan of this era (and who isn't?). The opportunity to hear a "new" Dark Star from 1970 should be reason enough to give this one a listen.

First set highlights include a nice China> Rider and a fiery Other One which is angling toward the greatness of Other Ones yet to come (think 4/28/71). Good Lovin is one of the best I've ever heard and the true show-stopper here, including a rare bass solo (!) and very sharp licks from Garcia and the rest of the band.

Sound isn't too bad considering the taper was a teenager with basic equipment. I'm giving it four stars to offset the three star ratings below. Probably about a 3.5, all things considered.

I love AUDS and especially the efforts heads took back then to record. I have no comparison prior to CM cleaning this up. Overall the band is on and the recording is like the majority of AUDS in 70'A Grate year too, all tunes are played with vigor, who can turn down a Dark Star not previously circulated! I remember 1/17/68 coming into circulation a few years ago, and hearing a Dark Star I hadn't heard. No difference here. Love it Archive

I saw that 5:54 Dark Star and thought, WTF? Fortunately it's the next track down and a healthy 19:12. It's a treat to hear a "new" show from 1970 and the aud recording is quite decent for the time.